2 April 2002

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Interview to Volpiugo

Volpiugo has lost the final race against Free who? but he has done a very good race.

I has became a virtual skipper after the sleepless nights to see the magic LunaRossa and, in opposite to many other skippers that I have the pleasure to meet with a few  subjection in VSK, I am not a skipper in the reality.
Im the final match of the Posoppa Cup I was against one of the best skippers in VSK, I knew it because I was against Helmer (FreeWho?) in another tournament. In Maria Island the player that start better wins, and against him I started better only one time. Helmer, in my opinion, is very strong in the starts and in the advantage administration, so he is a very strong skipper. I think it will not be easly to take the title to him for the Challenger. But in the Challengers Group there are very good skippers and so the Final Challenge it will be very interesting. In my opinion the favorites for the Challengers title are TeamNZ, Euphoria e Lupix.

Defender Group Final

Who will be the winner? The italian boat or the swiss boat? The final will be live on "Chat Room"

Who will be the winner?
Monday 18th June and Tuesday 19th June we will have the answer.
The two finalists are two of the best skippers in the world and in this tournament they have never lost.
Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th at 23 o'clock we can meet the two finalists before and after the regattas in the "Chat Room" of the "Posoppa Cup 2001" web-site.
So if you want their real time comments about their regattas, you have to come in the "Chat Room".

Challengers Group will be formed by 32 boats

We have received a lot of registrations so we have increased the number of the boats that can enter in Challengers Group.

After the beginning of the Defender Group races we have received very much registrations for the Challengers Group but the on hand places were only eight.
The problem was that we didn't want to keep out some players from the tournament because this tournament is done to give all the players the possibility to enjoy.
So we have decided that the only way to resolve this problem and to improve the tournament was to increase the number of the boats that can enter in the Challengers Group.
Then we have divided the Challengers Group in two parts: the Qualifying Game and the Play Off.
In the Qualifying Game the 32 boats will be divided in 8 groups and the first two boats of every group will qualify for the Play Off, the winner of the Play Off will become the Challenger that will have the chance to fight against the Defender to take the champion title.
I hope you like the new tournament form.

It was born the Posoppa Cup Journal

A page where you can find some important informations about the tournament.

It was born the Posoppa Cup Journal and I hope you like it.
In this page you will find informations, interviews, comments and so on.
If you have something to say, please do not exitate to send your article.
It will be a pleasure for me to publish it.

 Project for the tournament with "Sail Simulator 4"

In the next days we will publish the official regulation, here the hinge principles that will inspire it.

(2 April 2002) We will wait for UpDate 4.2.1 publication before to write the regulation and to open the enrolments, even if probably the tournament will be carried out with Sail Simulator 4.1.2.10, this because the UpDate seems to be payment (excluded for who has gained the game in the months of February-March). The publication of this UpDate is expected in the first week of April therefore the enrolments should come open in about one or two weeks. Here the hinge principles that will inspire the regulation:

1. Number of boats: the boats will be 16.
2. Mode: The tournament will consist in a series of match-race it will be a knockout competition, the regattas will be in an unique course (like it was in the editions for Virtual Skipper).
3. The Used Boat: The used boat will be the "Volvo Ocean Racer 60" and every players should personalize its boat (that must contain obligatory the nationality and the number on the main sail) and to send it, in the moment of the enrolment, to the Committee that will examine it and will publish it on the site so the other players will be able to download it.
4. The Referee: It is not expected the presence of a Referee for every regattas (this also because during the tests that we have done it is resulted that the connections become unstable when the number of joined boat increases) however the players or the Committee will ba able to ask for the presence of a Referee.
5. Weather: after the enrolment the player receivers a Code (e.g. PreliminaryHeat 11 Fourth 21 Semifinals 12 Final 22) this code will be useful to determine the weather conditions for the regatta. On the site we will publish 4 types of weather conditions and the relevant markers position: (1. Even-Even) (2. Even-Uneven) (3. Uneven-Even) (4. Uneven-Uneven). When the players will meet in the Chat Room to communicate the IP, they will have to communicate also the relevant code for that regata and to do the sum, therefore they will plan the weather conditions and the markers like in the configuration obtained.
E.g.
Code of the Player A: PreliminaryHeat 12 etc.
Code of the Player B: PreliminaryHeat 22 etc.
Therefore: 1+2 = 3 (Uneven) and 2+2 = 4 (Even)  Therefore: Uneven-Eeven they will have to use the conditions n. 3 in this way the players will know what weather conditions there will be only few time before the start.

This is only a prject of regulation so if you have some advice or some suggestions, I ask you to communicate them to me writing a message in the Forum in the section dedicated to "Sail Simulator 4 - Multiplayer".

Please introduce yourself to the community.
43 years of age, I am a born German (Black Forest), but am married to a Swiss and live in Switzerland for may years. With an optometrist background, I have become a contact lens specialist and now work for a manufacturer of contact lenses, as an international professional and marketing manager.

How long have you been sailing on the virtual seas?
Since April 2000.

Do you sail in the reality?
Yes, since age 7 (was sailed at that time).

You are the winner of the tournament, what do you think about it?
It was a great tournament. I enjoyed the close races against top level sailors, like APC (Ralf) and Volpiugo (Renato).

In your opinion, who is the best skipper in the Challengers Group?
I do not have the list with me, but if Euphoria has entered, it will be Harald.

Why have you chosen Maria Island to defend your title? Do you have any hints for this course?
Not specifically, but from past experience, it is the course being the least affected by lag. It is the most equal for host and guest, as well.

What is your favorite course?
With D boats definitely Waihkeke (I once managed 20.2 knots of boat speed!). With 70 feet, I like the San Francisco, as it is the longest. Waihkeke is quiet host friendly, as are Needles and Shingles.

What is your favorite tactic?
For MAtch racing: get ahead at the start, especially when you are not the host. Then cover closely, again more important when not being host, avoid pens. For fleet, better stay away from trouble at the start, in other words, as you never know about others barging in (and VSK giving you a pen as well), rather take a less favourable start and catch up later. Avoid pens and ferries.

Some players tell that you are a very aggressive skipper, what do you think about this?
I am sailing close and then, when others just put full tiller and do not observe rule 16 (give other enough room and time to keep free), so despite my best efforts, we collide. Then they think I did this on purpose and get angry, but I tried to avoid the hit. Some use this rule in VSK to tack right in front of you and block you. some even take a pen, but have stalled you to 0 before, giving them an edge. this is more aggressive then me. They find this ok, but not me. There is also the rule about you have to avoid collision. In luffing matches, I go to the point of almost braoching, slowly but constantly, some find this aggressive and complain, but it is a slow process in most cases.

Any comments on the tournament or on the other skippers?
Not on ny skipper, but I like all to respect the rules. The final was great in this case, as Reanto and I both did this very well.

Thank you and Congratulations !

Qualifying Game Results

The Qualifying Game is finished and we have the names of the qualified for Play Off players.

(23 September 2001) After some delay caused by summer holiday, today the Qualifying Game is finished.
Here are the names of qualified players: Horusblow, Lupix, Iceman - 1, Gloriosa, Budo, TeamNZ, Mmario, It was lag, The Sky, Volpiugo, Euphoria, Velarossa, Umit, ZOT !, Nautigal, Beriv.
The favourite nation by the poll is the Italy (38% of the votes) that have 11 qualified boats, then  USA (14% of the votes) with 2 boat, la New Zealand (10% of the votes) and the Norway (5% of the votes) with only 1 boat.

Semifinals Results

The finalists are Volpiugo and Free who?

Volpiugo qualifies for the final because his opponents, Vsk Online, has been disqualified.
In the other semifinal match Free who? has won against APC with the score 2-0.
So we have the two finalists, two boats that in this tournament have never lost and we can think we are going to see a wonderful final match.

Quarter Finals Results

Quarter Finals are finished and we have the name of the four semifinalists.

APC has qualifies for the semifinals, the swedish boat has won aginst Vindicative race one and race three, Vindicative has said: "APC is a fine competitors and it was a pleasure."
Free who? has won another time with the score 2-0, Tarabarall has sunk in race one and has lost race two for only five seconds.
Euphoria has been eliminated by Vsk Online but the french boat has been disqualified because strongly suspected to use an illegal program to have more speed.
The last race has been between Volpiugo and Gloriosa, Volpiugo has won with the score 2-0 and Gloriosa has said: "Vopliugo is a very good opponents and I am proud to have raced against him."

Preliminary Heats Results

After eight race we have the first verdicts and we can try to do some previsions.

Vindicative is the firts boat that qualify for the quarter finals winning 2-1 against Skyppyno, Vindicative has said: "I enjoy very much racing with Skyppyno.  He is too nice."
The second qualified boat is Gloriosa that has won agains Talisman2 with the score 2-1, Talisman2 has won race one but Gloriosa has done an unbelievable recovery winning race two and winning for only two seconds race three.
Euphoria has qualified for the quarter finals winning against Baghera with the score 2-1, these races have been characterized by very much incidents with ferry boats.
APC has won against Shagma with the score 2-0, a score that shows the power of the swedish boat.
Even Tarabarall has won with the score 2-0 against ZOT ! and qualify for quarter finals.
The same score has done by Vsk Online that has won the firts two matches against the australian boat Wish List.
Volpiugo has qualified for the quarter finals because Carribb 1 has not presented at the races and the Committee has punished him.
The last boat that has qualified for the quarter finals is Free who? that has won against Horusblow with the score 2-0.